


What Heroes Do

by InColor



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: A little bit of blood, Alpha Jack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Bonding, Extremely Dubious Consent, Jack is a bad guy who thinks he's a good guy, Knotting, M/M, Omega Rhys, Patriarchal Society, Unreliable Narrator, a/b/o style sexism, omegas don't have rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-01-30 06:44:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21423898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InColor/pseuds/InColor
Summary: Handsome Jack stumbles on an abandoned omega going into heat, and of course he can't leave the poor thing all by himself.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 364
Collections: kiss your fist and touch the sky





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is really just porn. Please check the tags before you read. Thanks!

It started because Jack got lost on his own damn space station.

Jack was running late to a meeting with some of his peons – very important, already rescheduled three times, blah blah blah – but this was not the busy hallway of executive offices and meeting rooms that he had been expecting. The corridor was too quiet for one thing, just the background whir of the station, and it seemed like everyone working here had already cleared out for the evening. Jack should find out what department this was and why they were abandoning their jobs at – eight p.m. on a Friday. Huh, it was later than he thought.

Jack approached the room that the meeting was supposedly in, glanced down at the note his secretary had put on his ECHO device before opening the door – to find a charging cleaning robot and janitorial supplies. Yeah, this was not his meeting room. He hoped this could be explained by his secretary’s gross incompetence and wasn’t her attempt at a practical joke, because he was _not laughing_.

Jack had already started tapping quickly at his ECHO device to find out where the nearest elevator bank that could go to his floor was when he caught just a tiny whiff of something intriguing. He sniffed, turning his head to the side. Was that?

_Omega_.

Jack had been around enough omegas to recognize their distinctive sweet scent. He’d had a few offered to him (more like thrown at him) over the last several years, ever since he’d become successful. Gold-diggers, corporate spies, one weirdo who said he wanted grandkids with Handsome Jack’s eyes: they all wanted a foot in the door with the great CEO of Hyperion, and getting their omega ward or kid or whoever into bed with him seemed like an easy in. It probably would have been, if Jack had any interest.

Omegas had never really held that much of a pull for him. Of course there was a certain appeal to the fantasy of keeping a pretty, docile little thing waiting in his bed for him, but Jack was a busy man, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t have his needs met elsewhere. Omegas were a responsibility – more than that, a _liability_ if Jack got all heat-stupid over one like he’d seen other alphas do. Jack could fuck betas or other alphas without getting into the mess that was having an omega, and that suited him just fine.

Whatever or whoever he smelled, though, was amazing. Spicy, maybe even herbal, like something that should be found in a marketplace on a distant planet, not in the sanitized offices of Helios.

No, really, there shouldn’t be any omegas wandering around his station. A couple of his higher-ups had their own omegas, but there were strict rules on where they were permitted and when, and omegas in the office spaces was a big no-no. They’d get the stupid knothead alphas all into a frenzy and no one would get any work done. Especially with this one smelling so strong that Jack knew they were there from down the corridor.

Jack continued down the hallway, following the scent like a trail. He put a hand on the pistol at his hip before he opened the door where the scent was strongest – on the off chance that this was an assassination attempt, he would be prepared. It wouldn’t be the strangest way someone had tried to kill him. With his other hand he opened the door, and – _oh_. The smell in this room hit Jack like a wave, and he had to turn his head away and take a couple of breaths of the (comparatively) fresh air in the hallway before he walked in. Jack never got hormone stupid, not letting his alpha instincts have control over him, but this strong of a scent would have had a lesser alpha going out of his mind.

The room was unremarkable, a small maze of identical desks and cubicles, nothing that even told him what department this was. There were a hundred rooms on Helios that looked exactly like this. The lights were turned off except for a single desk lamp giving a small circle of light in the center of the room. He took a few more steps in the direction of the light, hearing soft, pained whimpers. He walked closer and saw the omega curled up under the desk in the fetal position, clearly in distress.

Was the omega going into _heat_?

What kind of skaglicker would leave an omega alone like this? It was borderline omega abuse, abandoning them like that. Jack would have to look into it, deal with whoever was responsible. Any alpha could have walked in and taken advantage, _hurt_ the omega. Jack did not stand for that shit. Not on his station.

Before he handled anything, though, he needed to move the omega. Who knew when someone would come back into this office, and this was no place to go through a heat.

Jack knelt next to the desk, getting a bit of a better look. It was hard to see in the dim light, but the omega was clearly a male, and he looked like he’d been crying. (Was that an ECHOeye? Couldn’t be, no omegas had ever been approved for that procedure.) He was a pretty little thing, delicate features and full lips, Jack could tell that even by squinting at him in the dark. He should be decorating someone’s bed right now, not suffering alone here.

Jack tried to tamp down on his annoyance at the omega’s missing guardian. He wasn’t used to dealing with omegas, but he knew they were easily spooked, and his anger wouldn’t do either of them any good right now. He was a strange alpha coming into the omega’s nest during heat – as sad of an excuse for a nest as this cubicle was – and Jack didn’t want him to feel threatened. He let his hand fall away from his pistol, since this little thing wasn’t any kind of threat, and tried to make his voice soft. He was a little out of practice with that, but he could manage.

“Hey there, kiddo,” he said gently. “My name’s Jack. What’s yours?”

The omega’s eyes went wide – definitely an ECHOeye, that’s strange – before he started babbling.

“Handsome Jack, sir, I am _so_ sorry, I know this is completely inappropriate and – I’m gonna try and get out of here as soon as I can, this is so embarrassing – “

“Woah there,” Jack said, holding up a hand to stop the omega’s ramble. “Okay, you know who I am. Of course you do. Let’s get a name for you, then, huh?”

“Rhys,” the omega said nervously, pulling himself into more of a sitting position under the desk. “Um, sir.”

“There ya go. Hi, Rhys. Looks like you’re going into heat.”

Rhys whined pitifully and hid his face in his hands – one of which was _robotic_, what the fuck. First the ECHOeye, now the arm. Rhys was nodding, though, so at least he was aware of what was going on. Jack wasn’t sure how long they’d have before the omega was totally heat-drunk.

“I bet you’ve got an interesting reason to be in here, huh? How about we go get your alpha and we can find out all about it.”

Rhys shook his head emphatically, looking at Jack from between his fingers. “No, no alpha,” he said, slightly muffled. “I don’t need an alpha. It’s just me.”

“Did you…run away?” _Shit_, this was going to be a paperwork nightmare.

Rhys dropped his hands but just kept shaking his head. He was blushing. “No alpha. I don’t have an alpha.”

“Okay, we won’t worry about your alpha,” Jack placated him. He needed to get the omega somewhere safer than this, and then he could deal with the rest of it. “I think it’s a good idea if I get you out of here. You don’t want to spend your whole heat under a desk, do ya?”

“No, Handsome Jack, sir, I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to move but – it doesn’t feel safe out there. I can’t get myself to leave. This is so embarrassing.” Rhys looked miserable, and Jack could see tear tracks down his cheeks. He wondered how long the omega would have been stuck here if Jack hadn’t come along.

“Good instincts, kiddo. You did good, hiding like that,” Jack said. “I’m here now, though, and I’m gonna keep you safe. You trust me?” Jack held out a hand like he was calming a wary animal.

Rhys hesitantly leaned in towards Jack’s touch, letting Jack scratch him gently on his chin like a cat. He shouldn’t be getting his scent on someone else’s omega, but Jack didn’t care. Rhys was a sweet thing, and his absent alpha needed to be taught a lesson about taking proper care of his toys.

“Yeah, there we go,” Jack crooned. God, he’s glad no one else is in here or this would be embarrassing. “Wanna come out a little more?”

Jack coaxed Rhys out from under the desk and Rhys slowly followed, the omega’s eyes darting around the office like a predator was going to jump out any moment. Jack, the apex predator on this station, thought it was kind of cute.

“All right, up we go,” Jack said as he stood slowly, hooking his arms under Rhys’ armpits to pull the omega up with him. “I gotcha.”

God, it was like Rhys’ scent was hitting him all over again. Jack helped Rhys stand fully, letting the omega lean against him, all pliant and easy. Jack was muttering little encouragements, _good omega, you’re doing so good_, without even realizing what was coming out of his mouth.

“’M so sorry, sir,” Rhys said as he slumped against Jack’s side.

“Stop apologizing, kiddo,” Jack said. “I’m just doing the right thing, here. And cut out the sir shit, it’s Jack.”

“Jack,” Rhys repeated, pushing his face against Jack’s neck to scent him. God, Jack liked the sound of that. They were almost the same height, Jack was surprised to realize. Rhys was tall for an omega.

Lanky, leggy omega with pretty lips. Jack would be thinking about him next time he got a hand around his own cock, he’s sure.

Jack allowed himself a moment to take him in when he realized with a jolt that Rhys’ neck was on display with his head turned that way and his shirt unbuttoned. Rhys’ _unmarked_ neck. Just blank, pale skin down to his collarbones, no claiming bite to be seen.

Fuck, no wonder he smelled so good. Rhys was in heat and his body was advertising for an alpha, letting everyone nearby know that he was unowned and ripe for breeding. His scent was like a neon sign on the side of the road, and Jack just happened to be the lucky guy passing by.

Jack wasn’t an excellent judge of age, but Rhys had to be at least twenty, and there was no such thing as a twenty-year-old omega without a mate. By the time heats started to hit, an omega needed to have someone to take care of them. On stations and civilized planets parents or guardians would make the appropriate arrangements, on hellholes like Pandora the alphas would fight it out, but _always_ someone would end up claiming the omega, because omegas were meant to be claimed. That was just biology.

Except here Rhys was, with his unbitten neck and his insistence that he was alone.

“You really meant no alpha, huh?” Jack said, taking it in.

“No alpha,” Rhys murmured into Jack’s chest, which he was using like a pillow. The omega’s eyes were closed like he had tired himself out just getting up on his feet.

Jack snorted. “Yeah, got that. Thanks.”

The heat must have been setting in hard now, which meant that he felt safer with Jack than he had alone in his cubicle – a low bar, really, but Jack would take it. It was the logical decision to take Rhys home now, up to the safest place on the station. If it was also a little bit selfish to want the omega safe and tucked in at his penthouse, well. Jack was all right with that.

“Okay,” Jack said. “You ready to move?” Rhys clung harder to Jack, wrapping his arms around him and mumbling something. The omega’s hips pushed against Jack’s thigh, and, _huh_, that was an decently sized bulge for an omega. File that thought away for later. “I’m gonna take that as a _yes, Jack, let’s go_.”

It was good luck that the elevators were just a few doors down, and that no one wandered along their path on the way there. Rhys might have been upset if Jack had to shoot someone for getting too close. Loud noises and an omega in heat didn’t pair well together.

They made it to the elevators unscathed, Jack pulling Rhys along and the omega easily following his lead. When the elevator doors shut, Jack held Rhys upright with one arm and punched in his executive override code with the other.

“Welcome, Handsome Jack,” a pleasantly robotic female voice said over the elevator’s intercom. “This elevator is now designated for private use only.” Being CEO had a perk or two, and now no one else would be able to get in the elevator on their ride to Jack’s penthouse.

“Gotta call Vaughn,” Rhys said softly. “S’ taco night.”

“Who’s Vaughn, pumpkin?” Jack asked sharply. They’d finally established that no one was responsible for Rhys, he’d thought.

“Roommate,” Rhys said. “He’s a beta. Don’t growl.”

Jack snorted a laugh. Prickly little thing. Omega with cybernetics who went into heat in an office, who talked back to an alpha, who apparently had a _roommate_. What had Jack gotten himself into.

“Give me your ECHO. I got it.”

Rhys flailed uselessly at his right pocket for a moment before Jack pulled it out for him, being a good alpha and not copping more of a feel than necessary. It didn’t seem to matter much since Rhys’ hips were still gently circling against Jack’s thigh, which Jack decided to pretend he didn’t notice. It wasn’t Rhys’ fault that he couldn’t help himself.

Jack pressed a few buttons on the ECHO to see the user information. _Rhys Strongfork_. He could work with that.

It didn’t take much searching on Jack’s own ECHO to see the information Hyperion had on Rhys. Jack’s eyebrows rose as he read it, not really believing what he saw even though it made as much sense as anything else.

“You _work_ here?!”

Rhys tensed at the sudden harsh tone, letting out a little whine, so Jack hushed at him and pet his hair. It was softer than he expected.

“Shh, no, I’m not mad at you. Probably. You work here?” Jack repeated, less angry this time. What the fuck, how did an omega get through Hyperion’s hiring process? Rhys must have been a smart little cookie to get and keep a job here, all while managing to hide who he was. As often as he thought his employees were a bunch of total morons, Hyperion did have standards. Rhys wouldn’t be here if he couldn’t handle the work.

“M’ good at my job,” Rhys said, his face smushed against Jack’s body.

“I have a _lot_ of questions,” Jack said, but then the elevator door pinged, and it was time to herd Rhys into the penthouse.

It didn’t take long to wrangle the squirmy omega down the hall and into Jack’s bedroom, where Jack deposited him carefully on the bed. Or at least he pushed Rhys in that direction and Rhys flopped face-down onto it.

“_Stay_,” Jack ordered. “You need water, and I’m gonna call your friend.”

Rhys made protesting whines, but Jack assured him he would be right back as he backed out of the room and shut the door.

Shit, this wasn’t what he had planned for tonight. Although that meeting would have definitely been worse.

He shot off a message to his secretary first – _you sent me to the wrong room, dumbass, now don’t bother me again before tomorrow_ – before putting his own ECHO aside to look at Rhys’. There were several missed calls from a Vaughn, which made calling Rhys’ friend easy enough. Jack dialed as he paced in his living room, wanting to get this over with quickly.

“Are you finally coming home? I had to start without you, bro, the tacos were getting cold,” said the douchiest voice that Jack has ever heard.

“I think tacos are the least of your problems,” Jack snapped. “Now you’re going to tell me exactly why your _bro_ was going into heat on a cubicle floor.”

“What? Rhys went into _heat_? Who is this?”

“This is Handsome Jack, asshole. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize my melodic voice,” Jack snarked. “Now, tell me what you know about Rhys.”

“Holy shit - listen, Rhys is a good guy, okay? He didn’t mean any harm. Is he all right?”

“I’d be less worried about him and more worried about you right now,” Jack said. God, it was fun threatening his underlings, but Jack was also getting annoyed with this shit-for-brains not answering his questions. “I’m not going to ask you again, kid.”

“Um, okay, so. Rhys is an omega,” Vaughn stuttered. Jack snorted – yeah, he figured that out himself, thanks. “He just – he presented late, so he had already made plans to go to school, and he really wanted to work here, right? So he’s on suppressants. He’s been on suppressants for years.”

Jack inhaled sharply. Suppressants were highly regulated, meant for when an alpha was forced to be away from their omega for a while, or if the omega was sick enough that they couldn’t handle a heat. They were short-term solutions, meant for skipping one or two heats. Jack was no doctor, but suppressants for _years_? He’d never heard of that. What kind of damage would that do to Rhys’ hormones?

“I don’t know what happened if he went into heat,” Vaughn continued. “They must have, I don’t know, failed or something. But if you bring him back here, I promise we’ll take care of it! I’m so sorry this has been a problem for you, Handsome Jack. Um, sir.”

Jack almost laughed. This was why omegas needed alphas, not dumbass beta friends who let them get away with anything. “No, I’m going to take care of it. What _you_ are going to do is pray that those suppressants didn’t do any permanent damage, and that I’m in a good mood when I’m done fixing your mess.”

Vaughn was starting to reply when Jack turned off the ECHO and tossed it onto his couch. He employed a bunch of friggin’ idiots.

He let himself take a few calming breaths. He had an omega to take care of.

Jack didn’t usually prepare his own meals, mostly because he didn’t have the time, but he was able to scavenge some fruit that still looked good and cut it up. He thought briefly about having something delivered, but he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to let someone else smell Rhys right now without shooting them in the head. Fruit would probably be fine for tonight.

He could send Rhys to a shelter, he thought while he chopped the fruit. There weren’t any in the immediate area – Hyperion wasn’t in the business of taking care of unmated omegas, and Pandora sure as hell didn’t have acceptable facilities – but Jack had contacts. He could use his resources to find a place for Rhys where he would be taken care of until they found a responsible alpha for him. Rhys wasn’t in the condition to travel right now, but Jack could have him shipped off as soon as his heat was over. It wouldn’t be a problem.

There was another option, of course, but Jack didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t need an omega. Didn’t have the time to take care of one, just like he’d always told people. Not even one who was brilliant enough to work for Hyperion for years undetected, or tough enough to get multiple cybernetic modifications. It would be better for everyone to send Rhys somewhere else. Definitely. That would be the best decision.

He wasn’t just trying to convince himself, all right? It made the most sense.

He put the fruit on a tray with a couple of glasses of water and headed toward his bedroom. He still wasn’t sure what his plan was, here, but he wasn’t about to let the omega starve.

Jack nudged his bedroom door open and almost dropped the tray at the sight. Rhys had stayed on the bed – _good boy_ – but he’d managed to take off most of his clothes and was face-down on Jack’s bed wearing only his bright yellow boxers, rutting his hips against the mattress for a bit of relief. His back and legs were all on display and Jack could see the curve of his cute little ass as he tried desperately to get himself some relief. And the smell – Jack hadn’t been away from Rhys’ smell for long, but being back in the room with him was hitting him with a whole new wave of his earthy scent. Jack felt like he could get drunk on it.

This must have been what other alphas had meant when they had told him he was missing out. Jack wanted to fuck Rhys, to knot him, to _bite_ him all over until there was no question who he belonged to. Then he wanted to wrap him up in blankets and keep him here, keep him safe just for Jack.

_Eventually you’ll find an omega who turns your head_, he’d been told more than once by dickwad alphas whose opinion he hadn’t asked for. It was annoying that they had been right.

He remembered what he’d heard about heats. _Hellish_ was a word that had been used. _Terribly painful_. It was a kindness to make sure that omegas had an alpha by the time their heats would set in, to make sure that they’d never have to suffer a heat alone. Alphas felt drawn to take care of them because omegas needed caregivers and protectors, would be lost without them. Rhys had tried to go it alone, and where had that gotten him? Under his desk, whimpering and crying, where any wandering dickwad could have come along and taken advantage.

It would be cruel to let Rhys go through his heat without help. Jack was only cruel to people who deserved it, not to helpless omegas who just needed a hand – or a dick, as it were. He was Handsome goddamn Jack, and he was a hero.

If he fucked the omega, he might just have to keep him, might not be able to give up his catch. He knew that. Right at that moment, he couldn’t remember why that was supposed to be a problem.

Just then, Rhys turned his head, looking back at Jack with blown pupils. “Jack,” Rhys said, high and breathy. “Jack, please.”

Jack wasn’t sure what Rhys was begging for, wasn’t even sure if Rhys himself knew, but that was all it took for Jack to make up his mind. And when Handsome Jack wanted something, he _got_ it.

“Roll over for me,” Jack said, and Rhys quickly did, which went right to Jack’s cock. Jack wasn’t sure if the omega would be this obedient outside of heat, but he was really enjoying it while it lasted. Jack took the moment to put down the tray of food and water on his dresser, let himself forget about it until later.

Rhys looked just as good on his back as he had on his belly, or maybe even better. The omega’s boxers – which had a Hyperion H logo printed right across the crotch, oh my _god_ was Jack going to make fun of him for that later – were straining with Rhys’ erection, even though they were soaked through. He must have made himself come while rutting against the mattress, but it hadn’t been enough.

“You already made a mess of yourself, pumpkin,” Jack said. He pulled his own shirt off quickly, tossing it onto the floor and getting onto the bed to straddle Rhys’ hips.

“Ah ah ah, not just yet,” Jack said when Rhys tried to buck his hips up for a bit of friction, holding him still with one hand. Rhys stopped, but now he was actually _pouting_. Jack was so into his stupid, dorky face. “Need to talk to you a little first. I’ve been hearing you’re on suppressants.”

“I, um,” Rhys said, suddenly nervous, not quite looking at Jack. “I’m sorry. I need them.”

“You really don’t, kitten,” Jack said, sighing. “This is why darling little things like you need an alpha. I’m not mad you lied to the company – that’s kind of brilliant you managed to fool them all, honestly, I’m a little impressed – but you could have really hurt yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” Rhys repeated, biting his lip. “I didn’t – I just wanted to work.”

“I know you did,” Jack said, condescending. “That’s all right. You don’t need to make those decisions anymore.”

“What – “ Rhys started to ask, but it turned into a moan as Jack started to handle the omega’s cock through his underwear. Rhys’ cock was almost beta-sized, a good few inches instead of the little nub many male omegas had. Jack liked it, liked feeling the sticky strain against his hand.

“There you go, kitten,” Jack said as he tightened his grip. “Just let me take care of you.”

It took less than a minute before Rhys was coming into his underwear again, his eyes closed and mouth open in pleasure. Jack could have watched him all day, memorized the lines between his eyebrows, the high-pitched sounds he made in the moments before release.

But the aftershocks were barely faded before Rhys’ eyes started to fill with tears.

“It’s not – it’s not enough,” Rhys whined, his hips still bucking up. “I need more. I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, you’re all right,” Jack said. “I know what you need. Let’s flip you back over, huh?”

Jack helped Rhys turn himself back onto his belly and pull his silly yellow boxers down. Well, Jack did most of the work, and Rhys wiggled a bit. The boxers came off anyway.

“Fuck,” Jack muttered, running a hand over the curve of Rhys’ bare ass. The omega’s body was unblemished, blank, and Jack was going to be the one to mark it up. He spread Rhys’ cheeks apart with one hand to get a better look, causing the omega to startle and twitch like he was trying to pull away. Jack slapped his ass with his other hand, hard enough to sting but not bruise.

The thought of making his pretty ass turn purple with Jack’s handprints was appealing, though. He filed it away for later, when the omega had done something to deserve it.

“Be a good boy, Rhysie,” Jack said. “Let me take a look at you.”

Rhys squeaked when Jack ran a finger over his tiny pink hole. It was leaking slick, his body knowing what it needed, but he was also impossibly _tight_. There was no way Rhys had let anyone inside of him before. Jack’s cock twitched, his body eager to be the first one inside of this gorgeous, ready omega.

“You are so lucky I found you,” Jack said, continuing to stroke at Rhys’ entrance with a fingertip, coaxing him open. “There are a whole lotta scumbags in the universe. Do you know what they do to omegas down on Pandora? One omega gets shared by a whole friggin’ bandit town. I’ve seen the aftermath, and it is _grotesque_. They’d tear your pretty ass up, Rhysie.”

Jack’s fingertip dipped inside, causing the omega to make a strangled sound. Rhys clenched around his finger before relaxing, letting him in.

“Even up here, do you know how many knotheads would kill to get their hands on you? They’d rip each other apart for a chance to get inside you, and you’d have no choice but to take it.”

Rhys pushed his hips back against Jack’s finger, his body opening up just like it was made to do. Jack started to fuck him with it, watching it disappear inside of Rhys over and over again. He took it so well.

“But you don’t have to worry about that, because I found you,” Jack said, “and I’m gonna take such good care of you.”

Jack slipped a second finger in alongside the first, Rhys taking the stretch so easily now. Simple biology, omega yielding to alpha. Rhys bucked his hips back, chasing the sensation.

“That’s it, kitten,” Jack said, a smirk on his face as he watched the eager omega. “Fuck yourself on my fingers. Feels good, huh?”

Rhys buried his head in his hands and raised his hips, making whiny little noises as he fucked back against Jack, allowing his instincts to take over. The tips of his ears were bright red, like he was embarrassed even while he begged for it. Jack let him continue for a minute, just enjoying the feeling of Rhys hot and wet around him. Jack was fully hard now, straining uncomfortably inside of his pants. He was going to enjoy every second of getting inside Rhys. But for now, Rhys’ breathy noises were getting more desperate, and let it be known that Handsome Jack was an excellent, giving lover.

“You really need it, don’t you?” Jack asked, not expecting an answer. He reached around to work Rhys’ cock with his free hand, but he barely had to do more than touch it before Rhys was going off with a shout. What Jack wouldn’t give for a refractory period like that.

Jack pulled back a bit, letting his fingers slip out of Rhys. He absently wiped his hands on the sheets – gross, but they were getting destroyed tonight anyway – before undoing his belt. Rhys’ head was tilted to the side so Jack could see that his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. Good, this orgasm must have done it for him more than the last one. Probably having something inside him had helped.

Jack was going to give him something better in just a minute. He stood up from the bed, causing Rhys’ eyes to open wide in alarm.

“Don’t go, _please_,” Rhys begged. “Don’t – I can’t be alone right now – “

“Shhh, Rhysie,” Jack calmed him, pulling down his pants and underwear in one motion. Rhys’ eyes immediately dropped to Jack’s cock, which was standing at full attention despite having barely been touched. Jack grinned a little. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Jack climbed back on the bed, Rhys watching his every movement. He took his place straddling Rhys again, boxing him in by leaning forward with his arms on either side of Rhys’ torso, bringing their faces only breaths apart. He watched the line of Rhys’ throat as the omega swallowed.

“Are you, um,” Rhys started, high-pitched and nervous, more in his head than he’d been since they’d gotten to the penthouse, and in any other situation Jack would be mocking him right now. “Are you gonna fuck me?”

Jack grinned, wicked. “That a request, kitten?” Jack didn’t wait for an answer before bringing their lips together, biting at his omega’s bottom lip.

His omega. He liked the sound of that.

They kissed for a moment before Jack pulled back. Rhys looked debauched, his hair a mess and his lips swollen. Jack couldn’t wait to fuck him up some more.

Jack sat back, gripping the base of his cock. He spread Rhys open again with his other hand, pleased with how slick-shiny his omega was. Jack probably hadn’t prepped him enough, knew that his cock was more to take than two of his fingers, but Rhys was made for this. He could handle it.

The tip of Jack’s cock kissed Rhys’ hole, just rubbing there for a moment before Jack rocked his hips, popping the head inside.

Damn, Jack could learn to love Rhys’ responsive little whimpers.

“Fuck, that’s good,” Jack said, his voice rough. He pushed in slowly but unrelentingly, watching his cock stretch Rhys’ hole. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fucked someone who was this tight. Possibly never.

He bottomed out slowly until his balls touched Rhys’ skin, letting himself stop and enjoy the feeling of Rhys hot and wet all around him. He rolled his hips just a bit, testing out the feeling, when a nagging little thought entered the back of his mind.

Suppressants acted as birth control – probably? Jack wasn’t a hundred percent on that – but Rhys’ suppressants obviously weren’t working the way they should. A small, rational bit of Jack’s brain reminded him that his track record with kids wasn’t excellent, but the lizard-brain, alpha bit of him that was dominant at that moment was imagining Rhys, his pretty omega, starting to swell with a baby. Full of Jack for months, letting everyone know who he belonged to.

Fuck. Either way, there was no way Jack wasn’t going to finish this now that he’d started. The consequences were something he would handle tomorrow.

Rhys had started getting impatient while Jack’s mind wandered, canting back against Jack for a bit of friction. Jack swatted him on the ass again, then pushed his upper back down into the mattress. Rhys’ hips were still raised, his back curving into an attractive arch.

“Impatient,” Jack scolded lightly. “What am I going to do with you, huh?”

“Thought you were gonna fuck me,” Rhys answered, muffled a bit against the sheets. Jack swatted him again.

“Gonna have my work cut out for me,” Jack said as his hips started to pump into Rhys. “It’s good you’re so pretty, you mouthy little _shit_.” He punctuated his words with a harsh thrust, making Rhys moan. That was more like it.

Jack gripped Rhys’ hips punishingly hard, using them for leverage to fuck the omega like he’d asked for. He felt his knot starting to stretch at the base of his cock already, threatening to end this quickly. Rhys felt too good, and Jack was overwhelmed.

“Think you can come without me touching your little cock?” Jack asked. “You almost managed it last time, pumpkin.” He gave a couple of particularly sharp thrusts, angling his hips, until Rhys let out a loud cry and clenched around him.

“Oh, there we go,” Jack said. “Found the good spot.” He aimed for Rhys’ spot while he took his own pleasure, his knot slowly expanding. It had been too damn long since Jack had gotten to knot someone, and he was so looking forward to having Rhys around to take it.

Jack pulled back one last time, popping the knot in on a thrust. He only circled his hips a few times, tucking his knot firmly into place while it expanded, before Rhys was clenching around him and coming with a loud cry.

“Fuuuuck,” Jack cried out as he came, his orgasm feeling like it was milked out of him by the omega. What he was made for, Jack thought again. His gorgeous, sweet little omega, born to be a comedump. Alphas fought wars over sex this good.

He draped himself across Rhys’ back as he started to come down. He’d known he was going to do this, but it still felt like he was letting his alpha instincts take the wheel when he closed his teeth around the juncture of Rhys’ shoulder and neck and bit down hard.

Jack tasted blood, metallic and familiar. He heard Rhys’ voice but couldn’t make out the words over the thundering in his own ears, the impulse to take and fuck and _own_. If getting fucked was Rhys’ purpose in life, then at that moment it felt like this was Jack’s, to hold him down and make him take it.

He released a moment later, licking the blood from his teeth, sated. He ran his tongue over the bitemark, watching it start to heal up a bit already. The bond was going to take so well, he could already tell.

“All done, Rhysie,” Jack whispered to him. “You’re all mine now.”

Rhys didn’t respond, likely overwhelmed by sensations and hormones right now. That was all right. Jack was here to make sure nothing happened to him.

It was only a few minutes before his knot started to go down. Jack pulled out slowly, a hand at the base of his cock, and checked his omega’s hole. It was puffy and abused, but not looking seriously damaged. Good. Jack didn’t want to break his toy fresh out of the box.

Rhys was leaking a bit of come, so Jack tucked it back inside with one finger. His hole was much more pliant now that Jack had broken him in a little. God, he could stare at his omega’s ass all day. Rhys made an uncomfortable keening sound when Jack touched his hole, though, so that would have to be on the schedule for later.

“You’re too sensitive now, huh?” Jack asked. “That’s all right. I think we both need a little rest.”

Rhys was too out of it to reply, only letting out a little sigh against the pillow. Jack wiped himself off with his blanket and then pushed it to the floor, too overheated for it anyway. He flopped back onto the empty side of the bed – Rhys was on his usual side, but Jack wasn’t about to try and get him to move tonight – and pulled the sheet up over them both. Jack would get them both clean in the morning, then deal with everything else: his company, getting Rhys to the doctor, the fuckload of paperwork it would be to transfer Rhys into his possession.

But that was for tomorrow. Tonight he’d rescued an omega, and that was plenty of work for one day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More filth. If you read the last chapter, you should know about what to expect.

The bed was too comfortable.

It spoke to Rhys’ sad little life that the bed was the first thing he sensed was wrong, even while he was still half-dreaming. It was a sex dream, too, the indulgent kind he sometimes had about a broad-shouldered alpha having their way with him like they were in a vapid romance novel, like Rhys was a normal omega and not one who’d traded his nature away for the freedoms of being a fake beta.

But the bed was too nice to be his own. It was soft and warm in a way that Rhys’ bunk never was, plus it didn’t smell like the sheets Rhys should have washed a week ago, but instead like something earthy, intoxicating, _safe_. Rhys hadn’t known that safe could be a smell, but that’s what this was: like being wrapped in a heavy blanket, or coming home after a long day. He nuzzled his face into the plush, silk-smooth pillow under his head, _so_ much nicer than Rhys’ pillow, and breathed deeply. He had done the same thing last night, he remembered now, pushing his face into the pillow and rutting his oversensitive cock against the bed, getting off on the concentration of alpha scent.

_Alpha scent?_

That thought was what finally startled Rhys into opening his eyes, blinking at the artificial sunlight that streamed across his face. He quickly sat upright, his eyes darting around the room for the mysterious alpha, but he was alone. The other side of the bed was empty, but it was rumpled like it had been slept in. The room was simple, white sheets and white walls, undecorated and impersonal, but much larger than Rhys’ standard-issue room. There were a few different doors, presumably leading into a living space or a bathroom, but with Rhys’ terrible luck he might step through one and find himself falling straight out into space.

The night before came back to him in mismatched pieces, a bit like the morning after being fantastically drunk. Not that he’d gone out drinking lately, or done much of anything fun at all. He had a work project that a potential promotion depended on, one that had him staying late and sleeping four hours a night for the past week, surviving on shitty protein bars and shittier coffee. He hadn’t been taking great care of himself for a while, he could admit, which was how he’d ended up forgetting to take his –

_Fuck_. The realization hit him, sudden and cold. He had forgotten to take his suppressant. Rhys had been diligent for years, ever since he’d managed to get his hands on the black-market pills when he was eighteen and terrified, just coming down from his presentation heat, but lack of sleep had made him sloppy. At least, he thought he missed a suppressant. The thought was blurry around the edges, tinged with the panic he’d felt last night when he’d crawled pathetically under his desk after he realized why he was overheating in a temperature regulated room, the panic that was creeping back into his thoughts now.

He must have missed the deadline for his project, too, he thought numbly. He’d never get the promotion without it, might even get fired.

None of that mattered now, but it was easier to face than the unthinkable, world-changing reality: he’d gone into heat, an alpha had found him, and now Rhys’ future was completely in the hands of someone else.

Rhys’ stomach twisted and he felt his muscles go tense. He was naked, alone and vulnerable, and his robotic arm was off – had he been the one to remove it? He couldn’t remember. The arm wasn’t immediately visible, and neither were his clothes, which meant he had no idea how he would get home.

Scanning his body, he noticed with a noise of disgust that his belly was covered in dried come, maybe not even his own. He tugged the sheets up to his shoulders, clutching them tight in some much-too-late attempt to preserve his dignity.

All of Rhys’ sexual experiences had been with beta women. (Well, all of them before last night, but he wasn’t thinking about that yet.) It was the least risk; they couldn’t smell his pheromones and usually had no interest in getting up close and personal with his ass. The suppressants were supposed to render him indistinguishable from a beta male even during sex, were supposed to keep any pheromones from leaking, but Rhys could never justify putting his life-changing secret at risk just because he felt like getting fucked sometimes.

None of that mattered anymore. He’d had sex last night, proper alpha-on-omega sex where he’d presented himself to be knotted, then been fucked hard by that broad-shouldered alpha he thought he’d dreamt up, the one who called him _Rhysie_ and _kitten_ and _good boy _in a deep voice. He had bucked his hips back up against the alpha’s cock, whined for more like a heat-drunk slut. He hadn’t even wanted to fight the alpha off.

Rhys already knew in his gut what he’d find when he brought his flesh hand up to the side of his neck, but he needed to feel it for himself. His fingertips traced the bumps of fresh scar tissue where the indentations of someone else’s teeth were etched into his skin like a brand. The wound was tender but not painful under a gentle touch; it was healing well, then, his body refusing to fight the claim, taking well to being owned by an alpha.

All it took to crumble the life he’d built for himself was one tiny mistake.

Rhys dropped his hand and closed his eyes tight, not wanting to feel the mark anymore. He pulled up his knees to rest his head on them, trying to breathe deeply even as he could feel his heart rabbiting and hand trembling. He already knew there was no point in running. He smelled like a claimed omega now, so even if he managed to get himself off the station (which he wouldn’t) any half-decent alpha would take him straight back. Any alpha who wasn’t decent would take him for themselves, or maybe even try to make some quick money off of him.

What sort of price would he fetch in a filthy marketplace on a shithole planet? _One omega, only slightly used. Too tall, too skinny, and stupid enough to think he could live as a beta and not get found out._

Rhys was too lost in his spiraling thoughts to hear the gentle creak of the door.

“Ah, fuck,” Handsome Jack’s voice said, because oh my god he was here with _Handsome Jack_. His alpha was _Handsome Jack_.

Rhys refused to look up, curling his one good arm around himself in the only rebellion he had left. He wasn’t above burying his head in the sand and pretending that this was all a dream, that he was still sleeping and any minute now his alarm would wake him back up. He could hear himself breathing raggedly, but it felt distant, like it must be happening to someone else.

“Hey, hey,” Jack said soothingly. He heard the alpha moving, felt the dip in the bed as he settled next to Rhys. He felt the nearby heat of Jack’s body as a hand started stroking Rhys’ hair, the sort of calming attempt someone might use on a frightened dog. “You had a big night, huh Rhysie? Alpha’s here now, baby. I didn’t leave you.”

Oh god. Did Jack think that Rhys was upset because he’d woken up alone? That was almost funny, in the way that this whole ridiculous situation might have been funny if Rhys could look at it from a distance. He had idolized Jack for as long as he could remember, but this was something else. He pictured himself telling the story in a bar: _no, really, then I woke up and the CEO was petting my hair and calling me baby._

“Rhysie,” Jack said softly, trying to get his attention. Rhys wasn’t ready, didn’t know if he’d ever be ready.

“Hey. Look at me, Rhys.” It wasn’t harsh, but it was direct. Rhys responded automatically, his head snapping up out of some bullshit primal pull to listen to his alpha.

Handsome Jack’s mismatched eyes were striking up close. His hair was sleep-rumpled and he was wearing a t-shirt, and those little details made him look surprisingly human. It was startling to see him this way when Rhys was so accustomed to the larger-than-life version of Jack, the one from the posters and murals and statues where he kissed babies and slaughtered bandits.

“Handsome Jack,” Rhys said dumbly. What else was he supposed to say? He had no playbook for this situation, no script for waking up discovered and bitten. He’d rarely thought about getting caught at all, instead actively pushing down any thought that he was an omega, like if he didn’t think about it then no one else would find out.

Jack smiled at him, but it felt condescending, a little dirty. Rhys glanced at the clasps on his mask and wondered how that thing worked, allowed him to emote and talk and – he thought they’d kissed last night, too.

“C’mere, pumpkin,” Jack said as he grabbed Rhys by his hips, maneuvering him into his lap. Rhys was surprised with how easily his body went pliant under the alpha’s touch, his legs settling on either side of Jack’s thighs like he belonged there, even with his mind still running fast.

Once Rhys was situated, Jack put one hand at the back of the omega’s head, guiding him to rest against Jack. The hollow of Jack’s neck smelled strongly of the alpha, and Rhys felt himself succumbing to the scent again.

With deep breaths, the tension drained from Rhys’ muscles and his thoughts began to slow. This was his alpha, even though Rhys’ mind hadn’t quite processed and accepted that yet. His body knew it, had accepted Jack’s knot and Jack’s claiming bite, and was starting to relax. His concerns started to melt away as the hormones fogged up his thoughts, reminding him that he was with his alpha, safe and protected and _right_.

“I have your poster in my closet,” Rhys mumbled. The alpha’s chest rumbled with a small laugh.

“You’ve got the real thing now,” Jack said. His hands wandered across Rhys’ back, stroking gently. “You can keep it if you want to, though. I’ve got a bot bringing your stuff up this afternoon.”

“I’m staying here?” He’d thought he must be, that Jack wouldn’t have bothered to bite him if he wasn’t going to stay, but he didn’t know.

“Where else would you go? Is that what’s got you all wound up?” Jack continued rubbing Rhys’ back. “I’m keeping you, pumpkin. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

That wasn’t what worried Rhys at all – even in his hazy, pheromone-drugged thoughts, he knew he had so much else to worry about. But the words still helped, somehow, the certainty somehow calming.

“Yeah, there you go, just relax. I’m gonna take care of you.”

The strange thing was that Rhys believed him. Some part of Rhys – the primal, sexed-up omega part – felt like he had been taken care of, at least when what he’d needed was to find somewhere safe to ride out his heat and be knotted by an alpha. For all the stories Rhys had heard of Handsome Jack’s legendary violent and volatile persona, he hadn’t once felt like he was in danger.

“You’re lucky,” Jack continued, his hands settling to hold Rhys by the hips. “You were humping my leg before I even got you up here last night. You’d have begged anyone to knot you.”

Rhys’ eyes opened at that, and he felt a little jolt of horror at the idea of someone worse – oh, god, Vasquez maybe – finding him. Jack must have felt the tension, because he continued, “You don’t like that idea much, huh? There’s plenty of alphas on this station who’d have loved to have a turn with you. Whole damn department could have walked by. Bet they’d have all lined up to fuck you.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t want that,” Rhys said as he shook his head, his voice sounding reedy, not really his own.

“Shh, no, don’t be scared,” Jack cooed. “You’re mine now. I’ll keep you safe.” He moved one hand up to grip at Rhys’ hair. “Show me your neck, kitten.”

Rhys allowed his head to be tilted back, more instinctual obedience to a command from his alpha, exposing his fresh claiming bite. Jack hissed a breath in through his teeth.

“Well, look at that. It’s healing up so pretty.” He grazed his thumb over the mark, contemplative, and then _pushed _down. Rhys gasped at the sudden pressure against the sensitive bite, a jolt running through his body, but as soon as it started to hurt it was already over, Jack back to stroking the spot gently. “Y’know sometimes an omega doesn’t take to a bite this well, but not you, Rhysie. You needed it real bad, huh?”

Rhys felt himself responding to the words, a pleasant warmth spreading in his belly even as he started to blush. It wasn’t true, was it? Rhys had been getting by, had a job and an apartment and a life. Some part of him was enjoying this, but that didn’t mean he _needed_ it.

Jack’s hands travelled down, down into the crease of Rhys’ ass. A single fingertip brushed across the pucker of his hole where Rhys knew he was already leaking, already responding to the attention from his alpha, and a shiver of embarrassed pleasure shot up his spine.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” Jack said, voice gravelly. “Think you’re still a little heated up. Still need my knot.”

The knot had felt amazing last night, stretching him until the consuming need of his heat was finally calm. Rhys felt flushed, overwhelmed. “I don’t know,” Rhys answered breathily, pushing back against Jack’s finger as it slid into him without resistance. It wasn’t enough, not after knowing the feeling of so much more.

“I know you don’t, kitten,” Jack crooned, gently condescending. “You just let alpha take care of everything.”

He popped a second finger inside of Rhys, continuing to open him up. He leaned against Jack and clenched around it, and the stretch was a little better, but it wasn’t satisfying in the way that he needed.

“Please,” Rhys whimpered. He wasn’t sure what he was asking for, but Jack’s eyes went dark at the word.

“I’m trying to be nice to you,” Jack said, his voice just on the edge of menacing. He pulled his fingers out of Rhys suddenly, making Rhys whine and bear his hips down to chase them. “Open you up real slow. But that’s not what you want, now is it?”

Rhys started to reach down to touch his own cock, just to relieve some of the insistent pressure, but Jack’s hand caught him around the wrist. Jack made a disapproving tutting noise and moved Rhys’ hand away.

“Fuck you one time and you turn into a whore, Rhysie,” Jack said, teasingly chastising. He pulled his cock out then, one easy movement to yank down the sweatpants he must have been going commando under.

Rhys hadn’t ever seen an alpha cock up close and in the flesh like this, but he’d known they were big. Still, he felt his eyes going wide. That was supposed to fit inside of him. He didn’t remember pain last night, but it must have hurt.

“S’big,” he said, watching Jack position it with one hand. He was suddenly aware of how exposed he was, how easy it was for Jack to fuck him. Rhys felt like his brain was filled with static, unable to think properly beyond wanting this so badly while also being afraid of it.

“That’s what a real alpha cock looks like, sweetheart,” Jack said. Rhys felt the head of it swiping against his hole, seeking. “Not like your cute little cock.” Rhys was a little small for a beta, maybe, but no one had ever called anything about him _little_ like that.

Rhys always kept the omega parts of himself tamped down tight, pushed away any urges to submit when his alpha bosses had gotten a little sharp with him, kept the fantasies of getting fucked by someone bigger, stronger than him confined to his own mind. Pretending to be someone else had been a small price for his freedom.

But, strangely, this felt a little bit like freedom, too. Jack’s blunt cockhead pressed insistently against Rhys’ hole. It was so much wider than the two fingers Jack had carelessly prepared him with.

Jack’s hands settled firmly on Rhys’ hips, holding him in place to take his cock. Rhys’ body yielded, opening up, letting his alpha in. There was none of the pain he expected, only more of that deeply satisfying fullness. It felt like scratching an itch he didn’t even know he had.

“Fuck, you’re tight,” Jack hissed, and Rhys felt a sudden surge of pride at being good for his alpha. He sank down another inch, then another, chasing the sensation until he was fully seated. He rocked his hips, experimentally clenching down, pulling another noise out of Jack. He repeated the motion, then again, moving on instinct.

“Would you look at that? You’re a natural, pumpkin,” Jack said. His fingers dug bruises into Rhys’ hips, another brand on his skin. “Of course you are, this is what you’re for. You just needed an alpha.”

They started moving together then, Jack fucking up into him and Rhys chasing him back down. Rhys knew he was making desperate, whimpery noises, but he couldn’t hold them in.

It wasn’t long before Jack’s cock started to expand, the growing knot catching on the rim of Rhys’ hole. He rolled down his hips trying to get more, his mind sticking on Jack’s words that this is what he was _for_. Right that moment, it felt true.

Jack laughed a little, muttering something about what a slut Rhys was, but Rhys only half caught it because at the same time he reached down to get a firm hold on Rhys’ cock and that’s all it took. Rhys came, clenching down on the knot while his brain whited out.

It was a few more moments before Rhys relaxed, feeling boneless and sated, his head resting on his alpha’s chest. The knot was fully locked now, spilling inside of him. Everything felt calm.

Jack pet his hair. “Good boy, Rhysie,” he said, low and gentle. “You did good.”

Rhys closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

***

After, Jack manhandled Rhys through a shower – _because to be honest, pumpkin, you’re starting to get gross _– and then back into his robotic arm, which apparently Jack had taken off for him and charged last night. Rhys wasn’t sure where his clothes from the day before had ended up, but Jack handed him a too-large Hyperion t-shirt and an old pair of sweatpants, so he wore those. If he took a deep sniff of the alpha scent lingering on the shirt once he put it on, well. No one saw him.

Jack made them a quick breakfast, which Rhys scarfed down. Clean and full, he was starting to feel a tiny bit more like himself. It was a bit of a relief, and hopefully it meant he wouldn’t be so sex-stupid around Jack all the time, especially now that his heat was receding.

By the time Rhys finished eating, Jack was yelling at someone on the ECHO.

“I know what the database says, but he’s not a fucking beta,” Jack griped as he paced across the room. “What do you want, me to knot him in front of you? Because I would love to, sweetheart, but you won’t be happy if I have to come down there.”

Rhys used Jack’s distraction to grab his own ECHO device, which had been sitting out from last night, and slip back into the bedroom with it. Probably Jack wouldn’t mind him making a call, but he wasn’t about to ask permission, either.

Vaughn answered Rhys’ call immediately, but his voice was small and tentative.

“Hello?” he asked.

“Oh my god, Vaughn,” Rhys exclaimed as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “You wouldn’t believe – “

“Holy fuck, Rhys. I thought it was Handsome Jack again. Are you okay?”

“You thought – wait, did he call you?”

“He pretty much threatened to _murder_ me, bro. He knows you’re an omega. I had to tell him. I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah, um, I know that he knows,” Rhys said, wincing. No shit, Jack knew. That wasn’t Vaughn’s fault.

“Are you – did he hurt you?”

“No,” Rhys answered immediately. “No, I’m in one piece. Or, um, as many pieces as I was in before, I guess.” He rubbed at his robotic arm with his flesh hand. “Sorry I missed taco night.”

“Where are you? I’ll come get you and we’ll figure this out. Did you get fired?”

“Not, uh, exactly?” Rhys laughed nervously, then takes a deep breath. He could do this. “He bit me.”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“So I’m staying up here, I guess,” Rhys continued nervously, unable to sit with the quiet. “With Handsome Jack, I mean.”

“Rhys,” Vaughn started slowly, then paused. “God, I shouldn’t even say this, he could murder me in my sleep, but – you know that if you need anything at all, you can tell me. You know that I’d help you.”

If Rhys wanted to leave, he meant. It meant a lot that Vaughn was willing to face off with Handsome Jack for him, but that was a ridiculous thought. He wasn’t going to risk his friend’s life on some crazy getaway plan.

“I know you would,” Rhys answered. “If I, um. If I did need anything, I would let you know.”

After more assurances to Vaughn that he was all right, Rhys ended the call.

He stood up to peek through the cracked bedroom door. The elevator was so close, and it wouldn’t be hard to use it, maybe while Jack was asleep. It probably wasn’t locked down from this side. What point would there be when there was nowhere for Rhys to go?

He had more suppressants in his apartment. If he could get there, he could start taking them again, but they’d take at least a day to start masking his scent again, and then he had no plan. He would have to leave Helios. Most of the shuttles went down to Pandora, which would be a terrible place to go. He could go back to his home planet, try and live with his mom again.

Jack said he was lucky. If anything happened to his suppressants again, it would be another dice roll. What kind of alpha would find him this time?

Jack had found him cowering under his desk and had gotten him to a safe place, had taken care of him. He’d knotted him and Rhys had _liked_ it, had wanted it so much it was embarrassing. Could he go back to pretending to be a beta even if he wanted to? He’d tried that and it hadn’t worked, not in the end. Maybe everyone was right, maybe _Jack_ was right, that he needed to just give in to his nature.

Rhys stepped back out of the bedroom. Jack was sitting on the couch looking at a projection from his ECHO, the earlier conversation over.

Jack glanced up. “Think we’ve got your paperwork settled. Didn’t even have to shoot anybody for it. Take a look.” He patted the couch next to himself, and Rhys moved to sit next to him.

Rhys looked down at Jack’s ECHO device. It was showing his page in the Hyperion database, complete with his employee picture with a goofy first day smile.

_Rhys_, it said. No last name. _Classification: omega, claimed. Alpha: Handsome Jack_.

That’s all it said, his entire life shrunk down to a few words. No more job in Propaganda, no more employee ID, no more room number for the little place he’d shared with Vaughn. It felt final, but somehow he wasn’t as frightened as he had been earlier.

When he looked back up at Jack, he was still talking.

“Then I’ve got a medical bot coming up to give you an exam. We’ll find out how much damage those suppressants did, and then get you on birth control.”

Birth control. The possibility of pregnancy hadn’t even crossed his mind in the middle of the rest of this, but Jack already had a plan for it. It was oddly reassuring.

“I want some things,” Rhys said, the words spilling out in a sudden surge of bravery. Jack stopped talking to look at Rhys, expectant.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Can I still see my friends?” he asked, his voice less confident now.

Jack snorted. “Is that all? Not while you still smell like heat, and I’m not leaving you alone with any alphas, but this isn’t the Friendship Gulag. You’re allowed to have friends.”

“Friendship…Gulag?” Rhys asked slowly.

Jack waved one hand dismissively. “Nothing you need to worry about. What else?”

“Oh, um,” Rhys started. He’d been expecting to be shot down. He thought about being stuck up here all day, how much he would hate it, and said the first thing that he thought of. “Can I still have my job?”

“Rhysie,” Jack started, and Rhys already knew he’d lost. “That’s not a good idea. You can’t be down in the offices distracting everyone with a nose. What if you went into heat?”

“I could go into the office with you,” Rhys suggested. Jack raised his eyebrows but didn’t immediately shut it down, so Rhys continued hurriedly.

“I just – I could do paperwork, even. You saw my file, you know I could do my job. I don’t know if you’d need a hacker but I could – you know, do that. Or whatever.”

Jack smiled at him, and for the first time it didn’t look predatory. He seemed almost – indulgent?

“Sure, pumpkin,” he answered. “Fuck, can you keep a calendar straight? Let me tell ya, my secretary is a friggin’ disaster. I’m sure you can’t be worse.”

Rhys nodded quickly, trying not to look too eager. “Yeah, I could. I could do that.”

“We’ll just call you my personal assistant, huh?” Jack wiggled his eyebrows. It looked so ridiculous that Rhys couldn’t help but laugh.

Jack looked at him for a moment, contemplative, then sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Look, I’m not about all this touchy-feely crap, but I know this is a lot to handle. But you’re gonna be just fine, all right? If you need anything, you come to me. That’s how this works.”

Rhys nodded. He didn’t completely trust Jack, not yet, but he wasn't afraid. Jack was his alpha, and the omega part of Rhys held onto that like a safety blanket. 

That might be enough.


End file.
